A class above - 1990 Hill of Grace

16 Aug 2016: We finally made it to this long anticipated dinner which was originally going to be a Grange mini vertical dinner. With the passing of time, the theme was swapped for the classic Syrah/Shiraz evening. Impeccable and extremely professional service by the team at Another Place by David Myers @ HIP Cellar, and above all excellent and artistically presented dishes.  There was general consensus that the duck course was the star dish - sadly I did not take a photo - it looked so tempting, that we could hardly wait to tuck into it! 

Marinated kodama watermelon, ama ebi, edamame salad, yuzu kosho

1996 Chardonnay Extra Cuvée de Reserve, Pol Roger 
We started with this champagne. Layers of pear, almonds, brioche, rich and exuberant without heaviness, with creamy mousse and a lively crisp finish. Excellent drop, still very fresh at 20 years! 18/20

2000 Chablis Montée de Tonnerre, Raveneau
Sadly, oxidised aldehyde notes prevented our enjoyment.  This calls for another bottle from the same case to be tasted soon!

The line-up of 4 Syrahs

1978 Hermitage La Chapelle, Jaboulet
Black plum, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, wild herbs, game, black pepper, whiff of VA, vibrant acidity, elegant tannin, very long finish. Not quite the gargantuan 100-pointer that we were expecting. Wine lost its freshness and revealed a dull and coarse palate after about an hour. Worth investigating with another bottle from the same case to see if this wine is at risk of decline. 17/20


1980 Grange, Penfolds
Sweet vanilla, coconut, blackberry, minty chocolate, black pepper, firm structure, velvety tannin, firm acidity. A lush wine with a slightly rustic edge, not quite as suave. Lacked personality. 96% Shiraz. 4% Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink now and over next 8-10 years. 17/20

Interestingly, the 1980 Grange cork did not have any engravings on it.
Just a plain cork.

1990 Grange, Penfolds
Topped up with 2006, recorked in 2011. Blackcurrant, spicy, vibrant acidity, sweet vanilla, coconut, the elegant palate belies a big and powerful structure. This recorked bottle seemed youthful but very ready to please . 95% Shiraz, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon for original vintage. Long way to go. Drink now and over next 10+ years. 17.5/20

Slow-cooked Iberico pork loin, confit fingerling potatoes, yuzu jus

1990 Hill of Grace, Henschke
Gamey, slight hint of black pepper, sweet finish, harmonious, integrated with velvet tannins, minty chocolate, hint VA but enough to detract from its singular beauty and elegance. A stylish wine that has aged magnificently and gracefully. A class above the rest of the flight. Very persistent finish. Drink now and over next 10+ years. 19.5/20 (Very beautifully paired with the duck cooked under sous vide!)

Strawberry shortcake, almond milk, burnt miso ice cream

1882 Ne Oublie, Graham's
Quite different from the Scion. Layers of toasted walnuts, dried orange peel and balsamic nuances. Beautifully integrated. The anticipation from watching the bottle being extracted from the heavy encasement, to being opened, then the pouring and finally the tasting was simply breathtaking. On the palate, there was a freshness that kept the body of the wine lithe and vivacious, whereas from memory, the Scion was more unctuous and opulent. The bouquet lingering on the glass was simply mesmerizing. A very memorable end to a wonderful dinner. 20/20

Our menu - highly recommended!

A Room Full of Gold: Australian Boutique Winemakers Trade Mission in HK

23 October 2014: Without the deep pockets, production volumes and international marketing panache of the big brands, it remains a challenging task for boutique wineries from Australia to reach out to export markets.  This year, with the sponsorship from Austrade, Judith Kennedy, CEO of the Association of Australian Boutique Winemakers Inc. (AABW) was able to embark on a sales mission into Hong Kong, joined by 7 Trophy winners and 3 Gold Medal winners.  Through a series of trade tastings, master classes and a degustation trophy dinner, trophy and medal winners were able to present their range of wines, including the winners, to local media and potential importers.   The Boutique Wine Awards is the only show in Australia where the top size limit is 250 tonnes, and they uniquely support the small and independent winemakers.

We certainly benefitted from this opportunity to taste these wines, made with such passion and dedication, and completely expressive of the personality of the winemaker, and regional characteristics. As Nick Bulleid MW, one of the speakers at the master classes, pointed out, Australia started making wine in 1874 but they had come through a long journey to more precisely map out where best to grow different varietals.  For instance, Riverina makes great botrytised wines, in the style of Sauternes, but it would never be able to make great Cabernet Sauvignon or Shiraz, even if it tried!  Nick himself makes a Pinot Noir at 910 metres altitude in Laggan, in the chilly Southern Tablelands of New South Wales (winery name Hatherleigh).....where he in some years has seen inches of snow in his 1 hectare vineyard.

It was not possible to attend all 4 of the master classes.  So I attended 2 of them: 1) Classic Aussie Varietals, Boutique Style; and 2) Terroir makes all the difference: West v South Showcase.  I was very impressed by the elegance, delineation, detail, clear regional definition and varietal expression of the wines in both master classes.  

Robert Fiumara from Lillypilly Estate (standing) and Nick Bulleid MW (seated)

Then there were the personal stories....Robert Fiumara, Owner and Winemaker of Lillypilly Estate in Riverina, told us that his father planted vines in 1972 when he was in 3rd form (about 8 years old), and in effect chose Robert's career for him!  His father made their first wine in 1982.  Lillypilly's Noble Blend Sauvignon Blanc/Semillon 2011 (Trophy winner in the Sweet Wines class) was a beautifully crafted Sauternes-style botrytised wine, without any use of oak (74% Sauvignon Blanc/26% Semillon).  Intense aromas of apricot, marmalade, candied orange peel, barley sugar.  Luscious, balanced by refreshing acidity and a light tannin, which ensured a drying sensation on the palate.  The estate makes about 1000 cases in an average year.

From right to left: Rhythm Stick Red Robin Riesling 2013 (Clare Valley, SA), Grove Estate Nebbiolo 2013 (Hilltops, NSW), Smallwater Estate Shiraz 2013 (Geographe, WA), Lillypilly Estate Noble Blend 2011 (Riverina, NSW), Stanton & Killeen Rare Topaque (Rutherglen, Victoria) 

Established in 1875, Stanton and Killeen has probably the longest history amongst the boutique wineries present at this trade mission in Hong Kong.  Now run by the 7th generation, 2015 will mark their 140th anniversary.  Stanton and Killeen has built its reputation on full-bodied reds, luscious fortified wines including Portuguese style ports and a range of Muscats and Topaques (previously known as Tokays), and also a dry red blend based on Douro varietals.  CEO Wendy Killeen successfully wooed the audience with sips of the nectar of her winery, the Rare Topaque (Trophy winner of the fortified class). Made with Muscadelle, and aged for over 30 year, this epitomises craftsmanship and singular dedication.  Rare by name and nature, this Rare Topaque represents less than 1% of the winery's production. It was rich and opulent. Walnut, date, prune and toffee flavours coated the palate, and lingered for quite a few minutes!  A most memorable wine of the tasting!

Wendy Killeen of Stanton and Killeen

The West versus South Australia tastings just reminded us that there was no one terroir for Australia, nor even within a state: Clare Valley, Langhorne Creek and Adelaide Hills from South Australia all have their unique climate, soil and stylistic characteristics, demonstrated by some very well-defined wines as Tagai Scar Tree Shiraz 2012 and Rhythm Stick's Red Robin Riesling 2013.  And Geographe is not quite the same as Margaret River.......and what a fine example of Margaret River's terroir was Woody Nook's Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot 2012, with the vines planted in 1982.

From right to left: Talisman Riesling 2013 (Geographe, WA), Rhythm Stick Red Robin Riesling 2013 (Clare Valley, SA), Smallwater Estate Shiraz 2013 (Geographe, WA), Tagai Scar Tree Shiraz 2012 (Langhorne Creek, SA), Woody Nook Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot 2013 (Margaret River, WA), Anvers Brabo Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 (Adelaide Hills, SA)

Australia has recently seen its range of wines augmented by a number of European and South American varietals....when asked which ones had shown the most promise, Nick Bulleid thought that the best examples he had tasted were Tempranillo, Arneis, Sangiovese and Vermentino, when grown in ideal soil and climate conditions.  He also had high hopes for Mencia!

Extremely professionally organised, Austrade did a brilliant job in helping these small 'guys' reach out to markets normally beyond their reach!  So may this effort continue!

For full details of the trophy and medal winners, please refer to: boutiquewines.com.au

2000 Pavie and 2000 Montrose

23 August 2014: Another lovely dinner at Upper Modern Bistro....great modern bistro dishes, friendly staff and a lively ambiance. To accompany our 2006 Mount Mary Chardonnay, we shared smoked salmon toast with cauliflower puree and avruga caviar, mini sausage rolls and my favourite pig's trotter dip (sadly none of my friends shared my passion for this - so more for me!!). 

The Mount Mary Chardonnay from Yarra Valley was definitely a cool climate style Chardonnay, now in its 7th year, showing notes of lemon, ripe pear and apple, lightly ginger-spiced, and the faintest hint of oak influence (30% new oak and the rest in older or larger barrels). A linear structure, beautifully balanced and precise, nice weight on the palate, without being heavy, and a minerally finish. Still very much in its youth....can be enjoyed now and over the next 8 - 10+ years. 17/20  (The label of this bottle specially added a note of commemoration of Dr. John Middleton, the founder of Mount Mary Vineyard who died in 2006.)

We continued with starters of lobster salad, 63 degree egg with sauteed mushroom, crab meat and bellota ham. Then for our main courses, we had the two 2000 Bordeaux side by side.

2000 Montrose (opened and double-decanted 4.5 hours earlier )
63% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 2% Petit Verdot. 12.5% abv.
Deep ruby. Cassis, dried herbs, blackberry, cedar, violet, hint of smoke, lead pencil, stoney, cool minerality, initially a hint of herbaceousness. Firm tannin, sense of freshness and coolness dominates the robust structure, powerful but not fleshy. Medium bodied. Muscular, firm and classic St Estephe. Still very youthful. Needs time to resolve. Continued to develop in the glass, took on more weight and the flavours more concentrated. Drink 2018+. A long life ahead. At least 20 years. 18/20


2000 Pavie (opened and double-decanted 2.5 hours earlier)
60% Merlot, 30% Cabernet Franc, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. 13.5% abv.
Deep ruby. Seductive nose of plump blackberry fruit, dark chocolate, hint of cedar over the liquorice and vanilla notes. Almost port-like. Fleshy and opulent, lush fruit and ripe but firm tannin dominating the texture, viscous and concentrated, still retaining a good level of balancing freshness. This is a wine generous in every sense! You can enjoy it now but I would wait 5 - 6 more years for a more harmonious experience. A very very long life ahead! Tonight, I preferred the less over-powering and more harmonious Montrose, as the Pavie seemed a bit too full-on! I do think the Pavie has an extremely long life ahead and will live up to its legendary status with the right amount of bottle age. 18+/20

We finished with Jeremy's selection of cheese, washed down with a half bottle of 2001 Suduiraut from the restaurant's wine list. Jeremy Evrard never fails to impress with his incredible knowledge of cheese and his stories about individual cheesemakers......For me, this is always a highlight at Upper Modern Bistro!

A Pre-Christmas Get-Together: 1996 Dom Perignon Oenotheque best wine of the evening!

15 December 2013: A pre-Christmas dinner with a few drinking buddies. Our venue this time was The Coterie, a private kitchen/Swiss wine specialist partnership between Damien Fleury and chef Jacques Kägi. The Coterie recently featured in the 2013 Louis Vuitton guide as a recommended private kitchen in HK. We all had the Louis Vuitton Tasting Menu.

As aperitif, we had a 2004 Cuvée des Caudalies, de Sousa. A Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs, vinified in oak, and with malolactic fermentation. Pale lemon. Very fine bubbles. Toast, honey and pear notes on the nose, with mineral nuances to match on the palate. Racy acidity, fine balance and vigour, delivered with the creamy mousse. Finishes long and almost salty. Much better served in a white wine glass. This would be perfect with caviar or oysters! Not bad too with the salmon tartare (half of us had the salmon tartare and the other half the Welsh lamb tartare). 18/20

Salmon tartare

Welsh lamb tartare

Next wine was the 1999 Chevalier Montrachet, Etienne Sauzet. Pale gold. Toasted almonds, pear, smoke and honey on the nose. Plenty of freshness and energy on the slightly waxy palate. Long minerally finish, with just a hint of astringency. This is drinking very well now and will continue to drink over next 8 - 10+ years. 18/20

Gooseliver Chawanmushi with Sea Urchin

1996 Dom Perignon Oenothèque: An awesome champagne, that has so much detail, precision, power and elegance. Served in a white wine glass, the seductive bouquet was toast, nutty, lemon confit with savoury notes. There is a superbly refine structure underneath the medium/full body, vibrant acidity, minerality that is reminiscent of crushed stones, and bubbles of such finesse. Still tasting very youthful and full of tension. A mesmerising experience. This went beautifully with the '‘Gooseliver “Chawanmushi” with Sea Urchins " - warm foie gras 'custard', topped with a serving of very fresh sea urchin. Divine! 19.5/20

Bretagne blue lobster "sous-vide", beurre noisette, with Schabziger

Then we compared a pair of Lafites: 1966 (half) and 1978. I only got a tiny sip of the 1966 but I found it too musty and very weak in structure - past its peak. 14/20 The 1978 Lafite showed a very mature bouquet of leather, tobacco and cedar, with some remnants of red fruit. Almost sweet on entry. Rather light frame, but still retaining a reasonable structure and silky texture, though drying finish. This was a good effort for the vintage, but from this experience, I would drink this up pretty soon! Perhaps the larger formats could see through their 40th birthday!  Nonetheless a fine old-styled claret.  15.5/20

After the cauliflower, truffle soup, the next course was "Bretagne Blue Lobster “Sous vide”, Beurre Noisette with Shabzieger" - lobster cooked sous-vide with tomato and Schabziger cheese (a cow milk cheese made with skimmed milk and a herb called blue fenugreek). Very intense flavours here, and great lobster texture. Beautifully executed. We tasted the 2003 Richebourg, A-F Gros. This had been decanted for about an hour but could probably do with more bottle age before trying again. Today, this was not a good expression of the Burgundian terroir - it did not deliver the finesse and elegance one normally expected of Bourgogne wines, but the signs of the vintage were all there. The nose was very ripe black cherry, earth, fig, with some sweet spice. Almost full bodied, lowish in acidity, with a slight bitterness at the finish.  16/20

Iberico pork, potatoes dauphinois, with racelette

The main course of "Iberico Pork, Potatoes Dauphinois with Raclette" was tasty but perhaps a touch over-cooked? The meat was a little tough. A slower temperature and just pink might be better for the pork. For the wines, we compared the 1997 Henschke Hill of Grace with 1989 Penfolds Grange.

1997 Henschke Hill of Grace: Very ripe fruit filled the bouquet of bramble pie, black cherry, blackberry, dried fruit, roasted herbs and sweet spices. Full-bodied, very ripe soft but chewy still tannin. For me, this lacked a bit of acidity. I would wait a few more years before trying again....Drink now and over next 10 - 12+ years. (On reflection, this might have benefitted from some decanting time.) 17/20

1989 Penfolds Grange: 91% Shiraz, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon. This showed some signs of maturity: meaty and savoury notes, slowly revealing layers of sweet boiled fruit, black pepper and spice. Fleshy but firm structure, with grippy tannin and a good dose of refreshing acidity. Drink now and over next 10 - 12+ years. 17.5/20

2006 Opus One: 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot, 3% Malbec. Aged in new French oak for 17 months. Decanted for almost 2 hours. Blackcurrant, blackberry, bramble, liquorice, roasted herbs, with chocolate and mocha notes. A bold and masculine wine, with ripe chewy tannin and medium acidity. Not an elegant expression, rather a big structured wine that would benefit from more years in bottle. Drink now and over next 15+ years. 17.5/20

We all had a wonderful and indulgent evening and it was a great discovery of venue too! I highly recommend The Coterie if you are looking for an unassuming yet sophisticated intimate venue - only 2 private rooms! Very friendly chef Jacques who is Swiss-Chinese and he even comes out to greet us in Cantonese! Damien and his wife looked after us extremely well! (And he has a very good stock of Swiss whites for your next fondue/raclette party as well as some delicious Syrahs (Cayas) by Jean-Rene Germanier and his divine dessert wine called Mitis. Damien's website is: www.theswisswinestore.com) Just one tip: if you're planning to serve some old bottles, it might be a good idea to bring your own Durand.....

Syrah and Shiraz

19 Feb 2012:  The theme was a very broad one: Syrah or Shiraz.  No vintage or region was specified.  So the bottles that everyone brought did cover a wide scope but what was interesting was that after all said and tasted, all displayed a true expression of variety and regional characteristics.  Wines from  cooler climate regions faithfully showed more peppery character and a less chunky frame and those from warmer climate regions something a little more beefy and a more hefty structure and richer texture.

All the wines were served blind (except they were known to the owners of the bottles).  To keep us focusing on the wine, I had kept the food simple: steak, lamb chops and sausages on the barbie, with some eggplant curry, spicy chickpeas and salad.  Everyone had to say something about each wine, before the owner revealed the identity of the wine.

1992 Hermitage Blanc, Guigal: Still showing an unmistakable Marsanne nose of honey, quince, grilled nuts and a hint of marzipan. Not much acidity left, hence a slightly cloying feel on the palate endowed with richness and weight. Still drinkable but past peak.

1990 Seppelt Show Sparkling Shiraz: First time trying a sparkling shiraz with such age.  (I've never really quite understood sparkling shiraz, so it was very interesting for me to try this sparkling shiraz with age!)  I didn't know what I was expecting, but probably something like leather and spice. Still showing a lovely creamy mousse and persistent bubbles, the immediate impression was how youthful this tasted, displaying such sweet plum and blackcurrant fruit, with hints of pepper and liquorice. Karen and I both thought it was rather like a sparkling blackcurrant fruit juice!

1990  Underhill Shiraz, Yarra Yerring: From Yarra Valley, Victoria, Australia.  100% Shiraz.  Made from vines planted in 1974, from soils with a high clay content.  Use of stalks prevalent for this cuvee from Yarrra Yerring.  A lovely herbal garden perfume of garrigue, brushland, earthy, with leather and savoury nuances complementing some dark cherry notes. Elegant and graceful, harmonious, within a medium body with well-integrated fine tannin and mild acidity.  Drinking very well now and for another 10+ years.  (http://www.yarrayerring.com/)

1996 Reserve Syrah, Kathryn Kennedy Winery: From Saratoga Santa Cruz, California, USA. (Thank you, Vernon, who dutifully decanted the wine at home before getting into the taxi!) This really was lovely. Harmoniously rich in texture and intense in flavour, with a depth of character, that belied its New World identity.  Dark fruit, pepper, liquorice and floral. Soft ripe tannin.  Loved the chewy texture and freshness on palate. Not particularly high in acidity.  A very fine example of extremely high quality Syrah from the New World. (http://www.kathrynkennedywinery.com/)

1971 Penfolds Grange, reconditioned in 2004: Strictly this did not qualify, as it was 87% Shiraz and 13% Cabernet Sauvignon.  A blend of grapes from Kalimna Vineyard, Barossa Valley, Magill Estate, Adelaide, Clare Valley and Coonawarra.  As it was reconditioned by the Recorking Clinic in 2004, David said it could have been topped up with the 1998 vintage. Menthol, spicy and peppery, but rather dominated by baked blackberry fruit and raspberry preserve.  Given how "this was always considered one of the great vintages of Grange" (best since 1955), this was a little disappointing in complexity and character.  There was a good display of medium firm tannin and a good level of acidity in the robust structure, but what seemed to be missing was some tertiary character (smoke, savoury, earthy) to give credibility to its age. I wonder how much of the more recent vintage was used to top up.  Could it have been topped up with the same wine from the same vintage, rather than tweaking with a younger vintage?? (http://www.penfolds.com/)

2005 The Laird, Torbreck: A 100-pointer wine from the Wine Advocate.  First vintage of this brandnew wine from David Powell.  From a single 2 hectare vineyard of Shiraz in the Marananga sub-region in Barossa planted in the 1960s. Aged for 3 years in new French oak barrels. 14.8% alcohol. A powerful wine, harmonious and elegant at the same time.  Loved the sweet and opulent nose of plum, dark cherry, fruitcake, black pepper, roses, herbal and menthol with savoury nuances.  A good dose of acidity, giving freshness to the rich texture of very ripe and velvety tannin. Mouthfilling, with plenty of concentration and complexity.  A wine with everything in sync, leaving you not asking for much more!  Finishes extremely long.  Better enjoyed with a few more years of bottle age.  From 2015, with another 15 - 20+ years ahead! (http://www.torbreck.com/)

2000 Côte Rôtie La Landonne, Guigal:  100% Syrah.  Pepper, plum,  blackberry, liquorice, kirsch-like, with some earthy, leather and mineral notes.  Elegantly structured.  Rather simple and much less interesting when compared to the far more superior 1999 vintage (which we were rather generously treated to by Stephen just 2 days before this dinner - Stephen had his wine decanted for about 3 hours before we tried it).  Perhaps it would have benefitted from a longer decanting time.  Not a hit with us.  Definitely drinking well now and for the next 6 - 8+ years.  (http://www.guigal.com/)

2004 Poker Face, Sine Qua Non: A 100-Parker pointer wine.  96% Syrah, 2.5% Mourvedre, and 1.5% Viognier.  Vines from  the Eleven Confessions, White Hawk, Alban, Bien Nacido, and Alta Mesa vineyards in Santa Barbara.  At 15.5% alcohol, it was more like a fortified wine to me than a wine.  In fact, I left it to pair with the chocolate brownie dessert.   Dark chocolate, raisin, dried prune, fruitcake, blackberry, very dark cherry jam, kirsch with some nutty and toasty oak character (reminiscent of a black forest gateau).  Totally explosive on the palate, mouthfillingly unctuous, totally intensely flavoured ripe fruit character.  Mind-boggling purity, intensity, concentration and density (only wish there were less alcohol!).  Dense and opulent, this wine deserved a much longer decanting time than we had given it......in fact, if I had a bottle (which I don't), I would probably leave it for 5 - 6 years before trying again! 

1969 Dom Perignon Oenotheque: George introduced to us this concept of 1969 Dom Perignon Oenotheque and Pu-Erh tea to cleanse our palate (and our head) before leaving the party!  Honey, yeasty, marzipan, dried apricot, slightly spicy, and Chinese liquorice, with that very particular bitter-sweet quality analogous to the flavour of really good quality Pu-Erh tea (unfortunately, our supply at home was not of this quality). A fully mature wine and to be drunk now!  A rather nice way of ending what was a most indulgent and educational evening. 

It was a wonderful way to share bottles!  I was most impressed by the Kathryn Kennedy bottle which for me gave the best balance of style, character, elegance and power.  The sheer power and concentration of The Laird and Poker Face rendered most of us speechless but I would prefer to try them again in 4 - 5 years' time.   Thank you so much to our friends who brought all these great and interesting bottles!  (Next time, we should start an hour or two earlier, so that we would have more time to finish the bottles!)

 

Old Australian Wine

Scampi and scallops - best scampi ever!

12 Jan 2012: Robert's last dinner in HK before he headed back to Sydney. I decided to take him to Amuse Bouche to regain his confidence in fine dining in Hong Kong.  He once again ordered the tasting menu at Amuse Bouche....and this time he had nothing but compliments for the quality of the cooking.  The black truffle capuccino was a particular highlight for him, as was the scampi and scallop dish - Robert said best scampi he'd ever had.  I had the same dish as main course - the freshness, flavours, and texture, all in perfect proportions.....

I took 2 old Australian bottles along to dinner.....



Chicken liver pate and quail



Yellowtail carpaccio in ginger/wasabi dressing - isn't it like a bouquet of flowers?

1981 Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay: Golden colour. A nutty, spicy and honeyed bouquet of honeysuckle, macadamia nuts, dried apricot, dried mango, oatmeal, liquorice and preserved ginger, with hints of smoke.  Full-bodied, luscious, still fresh with good acidity.  Very long finish, almost sweet......Melanie made the best selection of first course, pairing this wine with a chicken liver pâté and roast quail dish.....I probably made the worst selection in terms of food-wine pairing: a very colourful (and tasty) dish of yellow tail carpaccio with salmon roe and ginger/shallot/wasabi dressing......The wine which was so impressive initially, however, did not last the evening and 2.5 hours later, it had lost its zing a bit and became a little dull..... Drink now!  17/20

1987 Cullen's Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot:  Garnet-ruby. Quite a reductive nose (brussel sprouts, cabbage) dominating the other aromas, cedar, earthy, mocha and cherry/plum. Rather lacking in fruit and rather austere/ungenerous on the palate. Slightly drying finish. Tried to give it the benefit of further aeration...but to no avail.  It became less and less interesting. The little fruit it had at the beginning had disappeared by the end of the evening......14/20

The Cullen's might not have been a great example but I have no doubt that great Australian wines do age (and rather well, in the case of the Leeuwin Estate Chardonnay!).  Perhaps it's time we tried the other old bottles from Australia.......otherwise, we'll never know, will we??  

BYO dinner at Le Mieux Bistro (or Le Meilleur Bistro?) with a 1979 magnum of Angerville Volnay Clos des Ducs

Spa egg on toast with
chanterelle mushrooms and foie gras cubes

5 August 2011: We had a BYO dinner at Le Mieux Bistro.  As usual, Chef Ricky did a wonderful job with the food.  I was particularly impresssed by the 'spa' egg cooked at 65 degrees, over 45 minutes.....I was told that the hen has been raised in a classical musical environment!  I am sure it added to the delicacy of the dish - the runny yolk soaking into the pan-fried toast, with cubes of foie gras and chaterelle mushrooms adding to the texture and richness of flavours of the dish.  A definite stand-out!  The turbot was also delicately cooked, extremely soft and moist, topped with crispy skin (only criticism: the fish was slightly watery - wasn't sure whether it was because it was previously frozen or the water came from the cooking method).  The porcini risotto was impeccable, made with intensely flavoured stock.  The main course was slightly disappointing, rather ordinary, after all these wonderful small dishes.  Perhaps the chef could consider a menu composed of small dishes!  The dessert platter was interesting but not exciting!  I prefer a dessert platter with flavours and textures that complement each other based on a common theme to give it a sophisticated presentation and an interesting crescendo in flavour intensity/texture (instead of being presented as a helping from the dessert buffet -albeit a tasty one)......I could not quite find the connection amongst the pineapple jelly, baked cheese cake and truffle-flavoured ice cream that appeared on our platter.  Only a minor comment that could be reasonably ignored, as I took little time to hoover up the sweet delights on my plate!



Porcini risotto

 As usual, we had a very interesting selection of wines.  We started with a 2004 Gimonnet Oenophile, an extra brut blanc de blancs which was linear and mineral, and rich and complex with acacia, ripe pear and toasty character at the same time, bolstered by very racy acidity.  Very refreshing! I would recommend this wine with oysters or sea urchin sushi. 17/20

This was followed by a 2006 Serruria Chardonnay from Rupert Wines, Franschhoek Valley.  This bottle seemed to have gone through accelerated maturation, showing slightly carmelised and butterscotch nuances, enriching the honey, nutty, fig, brioche and smokey bouquet. A rich style wine, but well-balanced and an excellent complement to the egg dish! 

Richard and I had brought a magnum of 1979 Marquis d'Angerville Volnay Clos des Ducs and we were very eager to see how it showed, especially as Allen Meadows had recommended a drinking window to 2004 when he last tasted this wine in 2001 (although he probably had a 750ml bottle).  The wine took little time to adjust to the wine glass environment and immediately captivated my imagination.  A seductive perfume rose out of the glass - strawberrries, raspberries and rose petal, nicely interlayered with smoke, coffee and caramel.  On the palate, the wine showed a very elegant structure and a silky texture, no signs of fatigue or any elements out of place.  A very regal expression of the finesse, purity and elegance of Volnay.  Drinking perfectly now and should drink well for the next 2- 3 years, but I would not recommend further cellaring for this wine.  17/20   

Unfortunately, the 2002 Dujac Gevrey Chambertin Aux Combottes was corked....this provoked a few of us to start twirling with vigour bits of polystyrene in the wine glass - apparently a trick to take away some of the cork taint....perhaps this trick did something to the nose, but did it also take away or add something else to the palate??

We also compared 2003 and 2004 Quinault l'Enclos, a rather well-priced (value for quality) Saint Emilion Grand Cru Classe.  I rather preferred the 2003, which showed rather well with the ripe tannin, a well-knit structure and concentration of flavours of blackberry preserve, tobacco and chocolate, with a hint of violet and cedar.  The 2004 appeared less generous, showing less ripe fruit and less structure. 

The 1991 Lindemans St George sadly suffered from quite a bit of volatility.

The 2005 Torbreck Runrig, Barossa Valley, South Australia, was a very appropriate match for the lamb dish, which came with a richly flavoured sauce. 96.5% Shiraz and 3.5% Viognier.  Individually fermented parcels, each matured for 30 months in new and seasoned oak, with minimal racking, before assemblage and addition of the Viognier component.  Extremely concentrated and intense in aromas of black cherry, crushed blackberries, cassis, liquorice, black pepper, mineral and smoke, lifted by a heady floral note.  Full-bodied, intensely flavoured, showing plenty of complexity and flavour concentration on the palate. Well-balanced, richly aromatic, powerful and concentrated, velvety texture, enhanced with lively acidity.  Nice long finish with a kick of fruit sweetness at the end. 

We then made a last minute decision to open the 2005 The Stork Shiraz by Hartenberg, Stellenbosch, South Africa (a wine that has been lauded with numerous accolades).  As it was a last minute decision, we had it double-decanted.  100% Shiraz.  26 months in new French oak.  A very rich wine in body, structure and flavours, showing very ripe fruit of black cherries and lots of warm spices. A limited production wine, from the ripest grapes, grown in clay-rich terra rosa soil, and helped by low temperatures and steep slopes.  Very promising! 

Both Shirazes were easily enjoyed now but would definitely benefit from further development in bottle.

Thank you everyone for sharing all these interesting wines!  I am now looking forward to our mooncake and wine matching gathering in September! 

1986 Taltarni French Syrah

10 Oct 2010: I was given this bottle of wine as a leaving present from Loic Le Calvez, the COO and Chief Winemaker of Taltarni.  I thought I would save it for a special moment to open it.  A deep ruby hue.  Aromas of black cherry, red fruit, liquorice, cloves and herbal notes leapt out of the glass.  Medium-full body, firm acidity, with medium tannin but on the palate, the fruit did not quite show, initially.  I was intrigued enough to leave the wine in the decanter.  Every half hour, I went back to check the wine....a dramatic improvement resulted in the fourth hour of decanting when the wine suddenly regained a new life, took on more complexity and length; it started showing very pure ripe fruit, black cherries, blackberries, plums, liquorice, spices, cloves, black pepper, spicy oak, herbal.  On the palate, it reminded me of a cool climate Syrah, like a very well-made Cornas or Hermitage.  In fact, I kept the bottle for another day and it tasted as fresh as it did the day before.  Medium bodied, good level of acidity, softened tannin, plenty of fruit, medium length finish.  A very well made wine and true to its name of French Syrah, made in the Pyrenees of Australia!   What an amazing discovery!  A 24-year old Shiraz from Australia, made in the French style, and with only 13.2% alcohol!  Almost unheard of these days!

Diary from the Pyrenees August 2010 - A Reflection

View of the Pyrenees Ranges
from the winery

I decided that it’s time I went beyond tasting wine from barrels and bottles to actually see for myself what went on at a winery, to better understand the transformation from grapes to wine in real life (rather than what’s written in the textbooks!). A friendly contact (thank you, Graeme!) and some enquiries resulted in a “yes” from Taltarni Vineyards in the Pyrenees in Victoria, Australia. And I could even stay on the property – which was rather good news, given the size of the town of Moonambel where kangaroos most certainly outnumber human beings! It is winter in the Pyrenees, a rather wet and chilly one, according to the locals! When I arrived, I had just missed a torrential storm which tore down a number of trees along the country roads, having caused much chaos to road traffic and inconvenience for people getting to and out of the wineries. 2010 in Australia has so far seen a lot of rainfall. Lush landscape abounds, bloated lakes and gushing rivers – quite a change from the arid landscape a few years back. The heavy rainfall has brought good and bad news: good news being the assurance of availability of water for irrigation in the vine-growing season at Taltarni and the not so good news being the delay caused by the storms to pruning work in the vineyard and to deliveries to the winery!

Taltarni Vineyards

Established in 1969, Taltarni (http://www.taltarni.com.au/ ) has focused on making a success of its winemaking efforts in a number of emerging regions, starting in the Pyrenees, then Tasmania and later Heathcote. Taltarni’s reputation has largely been built on elegant sparkling wines made in the traditional method, as well as excellent quality reds and whites. Its pursuit of excellence, elegance and finesse for its wines can be attributed to a combination of French winemaking style, Australian regional characteristics and relentless efforts by its winemaking team, now led by COO and Chief Winemaker, Loïc Le Calvez (energy-charged Frenchman from Brittany who claimed he didn’t speak English so well when he first arrived in Australia more than 8 years ago! I am sure Simone, his most charming wife, would take a lot of the credit for Loïc’s only very lightly accented fluent English!). Taltarni’s range of wines include T-Series, Three Monks, Estate and Reserve. Clover Hill is a related winery in Tasmania, focusing mainly on vintage sparkling wine and aromatics, as well as Pinot Noir. Karina Dambergs, the Winemaker, who is very passionate about sparkling wine, now splits her time between Moonambel and Tasmania, across two homes and two sets of kitchen utensils! Robert Heywood joined the team in 2009 and is the Assistant Winemaker at Taltarni. Robert worked in the Barossa before he joined Taltarni. Like Loïc, he is also a red wine lover. Robert is getting married in September – congratulations!

Nothing quite prepared me for the bone-chilling cold and the physical strain that I was to experience during my 8 days there. I had packed in my suitcase a pair of industrial gloves (the thick type that workmen use in factories) and some thermal clothing that I bought last minute (as I do not ski regularly!). The gloves turned out to be rather redundant as a lot of the tasks were almost impossible with gloves on, such as the delicate task of tying back the cordon to the wire after pruning using a fiddly piece of zip-lock strip. So I decided to handle the secateurs with my bare hands – needless to say I felt a noticeable strain in my palm the following day! The fleece hat and the scarf were quite useful and I sported them every day, in addition to the bright orange over-sized Taltarni fleece that I had borrowed, which I would wear on top of two layers of wooly jumper. (Next time, I’ll know to prepare thermal leggings!) The temperature in the winery could quite often get lower than the temperature outside especially when cold stabilization activity was going on (which required -5 ℃ for an entire tank lasting 8 – 10 days!).

I took care of my meals for most days, except the evening when Loïc and Simone very kindly invited us to their home for dinner. Packet soup turned out to be the most useful food item, as it provided immediate nourishment and warmth! I would need to “warm up” a pot of yoghurt before enjoying it as it would just be too cold straight from the fridge and too much for my already chattering teeth! I religiously prepared fruit in the morning but the sensation of biting into a chunk of ice-cold acidic orange or crispy apple every morning turned out not to be such a pleasant experience. I bought some lettuce, with the intention of adding some green colour and nutritional value to my sandwiches, but I had not wanted to bother with it the whole time!

Coming from Hong Kong, the thought of being out of communication had not crossed my mind, but it happened at Moonambel! There was absolutely no mobile communication except for a few very selected spots at the winery and in the vineyard! Occasionally, there would be some data reception, allowing a few emails to come through and get sent….so that Richard would know that I was still alive! After a couple of days, I had learnt not to be bothered by it and the peace and quiet allowed me to speed through my book! (The second book in the Millennium triology by Stieg Larsson.)

Loïc very generously gave me a few bottles to bring back to Hong Kong to try: 2006 Clover Hill Blanc de Blancs, 1986 Taltarni French Syrah and 2004 Taltarni Reserve Shiraz Cabernet. I shall be writing with my tasting notes…….

My 8 days at Taltarni in the Pyrenees had been for me a most invaluable and enriching experience. I was able to make sense of some of the tasks in the winery and the vineyard, those tasks that I had previously learnt on WSET courses, such as pruning, topping up, racking, fining, filtration, sparging, additions, riddling, disgorging and bottling. I was able to appreciate that each task involved such skill, hard work and planning. Above all, there are very clear steps and guidelines (do’s and don’ts) for every procedure and strict compliance is observed everywhere by the staff in the winery. Quoting Karina, the Winemaker can be compared to the Chef of a restaurant where he/she is not actually the only person behind your meal. What you have is a team of co-workers in the kitchen, each carrying out his/her part of the duties to contribute to the final dish, while ensuring quality and consistency, with every dish. Effective planning of resources is paramount in the winery/vineyard, as are well-laid out procedures and instructions for each activity. An effective leader, a strong team, an ambiance that encourages teamwork and shared values, are all aspects of the “winning team”. In a complimentary way, the wheel continues to turn because all the cogs are aligned and functioning, knowing their integral role in the whole picture.

Kangaroo hopping across the vineyard

Thank you very much, everyone at Taltarni, you had made me feel so welcome and had taught me so much! My experience here has made me better appreciate the hard work that goes into the making of each bottle of wine and now I can even taste the bitter sweetness with each sip! I would very much like to return for the summer/harvest activities so that I could see more of this fascinating viticultural and winemaking cycle. In the meantime, I look forward to seeing more of the Taltarni wines on shelves at wine shops in Hong Kong and to hearing more of your awards and success stories.


To read my daily diary, please follow the blog series: "Diary from the Pyrenees August 2010 - Day 1" through to "................Day 8"

Diary from the Pyrenees August 2010 - Day 8

Day 8 (25 August 2010):


My last day at Taltarni. It’s a double shift day. The first shift started at 6 am and the second would start at 2 pm. I cheekily turned up at the winery at 7:30 am, relieved to find that it actually took them an hour to set up. So the bottling line for T-Series Sauvignon Blanc did not start till 7 pm and I had only missed out on a little bit of the action.

Diary from the Pyrenees August 2010 - Dinner with Loïc and Simone

Dinner with Loïc and Simone (24 August 2010):


About 7 pm, Jacques (Taltarni’s Financial Controller, aka my housemate) came back to the cottage to fetch me to go to Loïc’s house for dinner. The house perches on the hillside and normally it would be a lovely walk amongst the vines, but not when it was 4.3 °C outside and blowing a gale force wind with lashing torrential rain. So Jacques drove. We passed by two enormous trucks, heavily laden with bottles. Thank goodness they made it to Moonambel in the storm! We needed the bottles for bottling the following morning! What a relief!

Diary from the Pyrenees August 2010 - Day 7

Day 7 (24 August 2010):


I must have stood under the piping hot shower for close to 15 minutes and with a mug of hot tea in hand, I was feeling human again. Today I felt really cold – it must have been like 5 °C inside the winery and staying at this temperature from 7:45 am to 4:15 pm was quite tough on the system, even with my oversized bright orange Taltarni fleece on. I should have worn two pairs of trousers! I found my teeth chattering, my hands frozen to almost numbness, both my legs shivering vigorously inside my trousers to the point that I felt I was about to pull a muscle or something in one of my legs! As I am writing this in the warmth of my bedroom, I can still hear the wind howling outside but there seems to be a temporary respite from the torrential rain storm, until the next one comes along. The Taltarni chime has just stricken five……

Diary from the Pyrenees August 2010 - Day 6

Day 6 (23 August 2010):


I returned to Taltarni this morning. I got a lift in the car with Loïc, the COO and Chief Winemaker, and his wife Simone. It’s about a 2.5 hour drive. We started at 7:45 am from my hotel and we reached the winery at about 10:30 am. We had a good chat on the way. I found out that Loïc studied oenology in Bordeaux, then came to Australia to do a harvest and then fell in love with the place (and Simone) and has been at Taltarni for 8.5 years! I told him my observation of the sense of ownership and pride amongst the employees at Taltarni – think he approved of my observation!

Diary from the Pyrenees August 2010 - Day 5

Day 5 (20 August 2010):


I spent the morning at the winery and this time we did two rack-returns, namely emptying wine from barrels into a huge tank while removing the lees at the bottom of the barrels, before returning the wine from the tank into the barrels, followed by the necessary topping up and sulphur cleaning of the top of the barrels to prevent bacterial contamination. The transfer of wine from barrels to tank basically involved a mono-pump and a couple of rather long and robust hoses. Again muscle power came into this!

Diary from the Pyrenees August 2010 - Day 4

Day 4 (19 August 2010):


At the winery, it works like this. Robert or Karina would issue the daily work sheets and the operational staff would execute these procedures. This morning we had 4 work sheets to complete. The first one was about earth filtration.

Diary from the Pyrenees August 2010 - Day 3

Day 3 (18 August 2010):


I was assigned to the disgorging line. Today we disgorged Clover Hill Vintage Brut 2005.

Diary from the Pyrenees August 2010 - Day 2

Day 2 (17 August 2010):


It was the only day during the whole week when the sun shone and one could even feel the pleasantly mild warmth of the wintry sun rays! I spent the day with Matthew, the vineyard manager. Taltarni means “red earth”. The estate covers 700 hectares, including 500 hectares of bushland and 200 hectares of vineyard area, of which only about half of the area is planted at the moment.

Diary from the Pyrenees August 2010 - Day 1

Day 1 (16 August 2010)


Landed at Melbourne Airport at 5:56 am. After a coffee break (and a giant muffin!) at the airport coffee shop, I boarded the coach for Ballarat at 7:50 am. Arrived at Ballarat at about 9:40 am and got collected by Jackie, one of the accounts staff at Taltarni. Just over an hour later, we arrived at Taltarni. I noticed the somewhat schizophrenic weather during our drive, one minute pouring and the next bright and sunny.

The ABC of good honest cooking!

5 June 2010: We decided to try a new place for dinner with some friends - we picked A Better Cooking (ABC) Kitchen inside the Queen's Street Cooked Food Market (on Des Voeux Road). We all had some difficulty getting there - probably because of miscommunication of the address on my part! It was a classic local gastronomic scene - about 20 food stalls busy serving the dinner crowd on this fluorescent-lit floor at this indoor Cooked Food Market. Each stall offered different cuisine, from Cantonese to Beijing Dumplings, to Vietnamese to Indian and at one corner, complete with the familiar bistro-style checked tablecloths, there was ABC Kitchen. We all took the 4-course set menu, which came with a glass of cava and 2 glasses of red wine, which we didn't try as we brought our own wine. The staff (under Joe Lau's leadership) largely came from M at the Fringe after the latter got evicted from its previous location on Ice House Street. Here amongst the modest settings of the Cooked Food Market, the quality of the food that arrived at our table was on a par with that at the original restaurant. We all thoroughly enjoyed sharing the mushroom risotto and the linguine with clams, followed by really delicious roast suckling pig and rack of lamb. I even ordered some samosas, naan bread, dal and broccoli from the Indian stall next door, which Joe did not seem to mind! The chocolate souffles and sticky toffee puddings were very much welcomed at the end! Great job, Joe and the team!

For this evening, we first had a Jean-Marc Boillot Puligny-Montrachet Les Mouchères 2001, which had lots of mature aromas and a creamy texture. Then we did a tasting of 2005 pinot noirs, including the Hatherleigh Pinot Noir made by our friend Nick Bulleid MW plus 2 French burgundies, a Michel Lafarge Volnay and a Leroy Volnay. The Leroy was corked unfortunately. The Michel Lafarge Volnay was probably not ready yet....it remained very closed and astringent for almost the entirety of the evening. The Hatherleigh showed youthful fruitiness, plenty of red fruit and some sweet spicy complexity, and a very silky texture. A very approachable cool-climate style. Richard said it was "light and pretty".

Our friend Nick (a different Nick) brought two wines for the evening and they certainly helped lift the quality of the selection! 2002 Charmes Chambertin by Bernard Dugat-Py - a beautiful wine with a lot of charme, as suggested by the name, much complexity, subtle richness and a lingering finish, well balanced and structured. An excellent food wine.

The 1970 Léoville Las Cases was a delicate and mature wine, graceful but rather fragile - it needed drinking almost immediately. Very lovely smoky and cedar character at the beginning, but rather low on fruit and acidity. It started to fall apart after an hour of decanting. Perhaps we should have left it in the bottle, and not bothered with decanting.

ABC is highly recommended and worth being promoted! I like to support people who begin small and work hard.....they need our support to carry on and to show to the world that good effort can make a difference, that good honest food can come from the most unexpected surroundings! My ratings: 3.5/5 for food; 5/5 for value; 1/5 for ambiance; 4/5 for service.

By the way, I forgot to mention that the cost for the 4 course set menu is HK$ 368 for two people, i.e. HK$ 184 per head (around US$ 23 or £16 per head at current exchange rates)!

Caillard Mataro and our Meursault Les Clous

27 May 2010: Dinner at home with a few friends, including Andrew and Bobby Caillard. It was a great evening as we tasted some rather special wines: Andrew's Mataro and our own Meursault Les Clous, both our first vintage and both of the 2008 vintage, separated by 6 months!

Let's talk about Andrew's wine first. We tasted it side by side with a Mourvèdre from France - Domaine Borie de Maurel Cuvée Maxime 2006. Two wines made with practically the same grape variety. Different soils and climates. The results so different.

Caillard Mataro (http://www.caillardwine.com/) : Our friend Andrew Caillard is a Sydney-based Master of Wine with auction house Langton's as well as an accomplished artist. Caillard Mataro is a limited release wine with production of approximately 120 dozen cases. The vines are located in the Barossa Valley which boasts the largest planting of Mataro in Australia, some over 100 years old. To the 2008 Mataro, Andrew added 2% of Syrah to give it just a little extra body. I thought it was absolutely deliciously drinking now, and will continue to evolve in bottle for the next 5 - 6 years. It was beautifully structured and balanced, with character, complexity, finesse, an almost pinot noir like silkiness and lovely long finish. A stylish and intellectual wine. Medium-deep ruby core. Medium-bodied, with a well-managed level of acidity, medium level of fine-grained tannins, from the use of 25% new oak and the rest 1 - 2 wine barrels for a maturation period of 14 months. On the nose, lovely aromas of black cherry,blackberry and bramberry with underlying spicy, peppery, herbal and savoury character, and just a hint of chocolate, dates and figs. I was equally impressed by the label - it was based on a painting by Andrew himself. What a talented man! Andrew's aim was to make a contemporary wine style that would honour the past. He achieved it so well, spot-on, for his first vintage and according to Bobby, the woman behind the label and Andrew's wife, the wine sold like hot cakes and they're thinking of increasing the size of production. Well done, Andrew and Bobby!

Then we tried the Borie de Maurel (http://www.boriedemaurel.fr/) . The domaine is in Félines-Minervois in the La Livinière appellation. Interestingly, it was a much more masculine version of wine made with the same grape variety. Maxime by Borie de Maurel was a deep-coloured and concentrated wine, with intense ripe fruit character (almost sweet on the nose), supported by spices, figs, leather notes, and a much richer style, a fuller body with firmer tannins. 20 - 45 days of fermentation followed by 18 months in 600 litre demi-muids. Good length aftertaste. Also very impressive but a totally different style!

I am fascinated by Mourvèdre as a variety!

We actually started the dinner with our wine: Meursault Les Clous 2008 (wine label not yet ready). It was also our first time tasting it and it was so exciting! Here are my tasting notes:

"Pale lemon-yellow colour. Medium-bodied, well-textured with a light richness, well-balanced with a good level of acidity. The citrus fruit and lime blossom character are supported by an intense minerality, with a hint of nutty character. A fresh, minerally and well-balanced Meursault, pure and complex at the same time. Drinking beautifully now and will evolve over the next 4 - 5 years. - Ivy"

The complexity and intensity of the wine comes from the terroir (limestone-clay soil, at an altitude of 310 metres, facing northeast and just below the famous "Casses-Têtes"), 62 years old vines which are handpicked and sorted and skilful winemaking by Monsieur Fichet, our winemaker who is known for his minerally wines. The 2008 vintage saw a lot of sun between April and mid July when the rain started. The combination of sun and wind in September made the vintage a successful one. The vines were harvested late September 2008. Elevage in barriques of 1 and 2 wines. Bottled in April 2010.

Andrew kindly wrote us his tasting note of our wine and here it is:
"Pale medium colour. Beautiful fresh grapefruit, lemon curd, grilled nut aromas. Touch of lanolin. Well-concentrated grapefruit, lemon curd flavours, underlying savoury nuances and indelible acidity. Finishes long and sweet. 18/20 - Andrew Caillard MW"

Richard's tasting note of our wine: "Mango, peach, floral nose; lovely balance, richness, good length and finish. Drinking now."

We actually had a magnum bottle of 1989 Angélus before we did the Mourvèdre-Mataro tasting. The Angélus was sensational - can Saint Emilion get better than this? Just a beautifully aged wine, with grace, elegance, finesse and length. Medium bodied, immaculately balanced, with well integrated tannins, and a finish that went on and on. The bouquet was smoky, pencil shavings, violets, rose petals, blueberries and figs. Just pure joy when you get a wine as beautiful as this! I would score it 19/20.


We finished the evening with the Chateau du Tariquet Armagnac 1990 Cépages. What a delicious drop! It just glided smoothly down your throat and sent a lovely warming sensation! Thank you, Gabriel - sorry that you didn't make it to dinner. You would have enjoyed it!